By Mallory Panuska
FAIRMONT — Allegheny Energy will soon be bringing 150 professional and technical jobs to Marion County.
Jim Haney, Allegheny Energy vice president, announced Thursday night that the company would be locating a new $50 million headquarters at the I-79 High Technology Park.
“It will be a very nice facility. We are looking forward to it,” he said. “This will be nice for Marion County in particular. It shows something we all know, that Marion County is a great place to live, work and do business.”
Haney said the building was part of the settlement for the slated Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line (TrAIL) that is planned to run from southwestern Pennsylvania across West Virginia to northern Virginia.
The TrAIL project proposal was recently approved by the West Virginia Public Service Commission and will construct a 240-mile high voltage power line through the region to increase electrical supplies in 13 eastern states.
But Haney added that the headquarters is more than just a home for the TrAIL office. He said the facility is also slated to house other operations and will add to the company’s approximate 450 employees already working in Marion County. Currently, Allegheny Energy runs a call center and a corporate training center within Marion County borders.
Gov. Joe Manchin, who was in attendance at the Marion County Chamber of Commerce’s 55th annual dinner where Haney made the official announcement, expressed his considerable appreciation for the news.
“That type of news is so exciting. It will bring 150 good-paying jobs with benefits. It’s just everything good,” Manchin said. “The entire state will benefit from this.”
Tina Shaw, president of the chamber of commerce, also expressed excitement for the announcement when she presented Allegheny Energy with the Corporate Citizen of the Year award at Thursday’s dinner.
“This is a huge win for Marion County,” she said.
And from the city’s point of view, Fairmont Deputy Mayor John Dahlia said the announcement was very exciting and a sign of more positive things to come in the future within the city and the county as a whole.
“It’s remarkable. It truly solidifies that Fairmont is indeed West Virginia’s ‘Friendly City,’” Dahlia said of the announcement. “This is a sign of great things to come.”
E-mail Mallory Panuska at mpanuska@timeswv.com.
